Drum.



PATENTED JULY18, 1905.

G. HARRIS. DRUM. APPLICATION FILED Nov/s, 1904.

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W I masses- Ami-lmmnumunncmmmv Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFIQE.

GEORGE HARRIS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DRUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,034, dated July 18,1905.

Application filed November 5, 1904. Serial No. 231,512.

To all whmn it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE HARRIS, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drums, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in the construction of drumsand other similar musical instruments that comprise a head of preparedskin stretched over a hoop or a cylindrical frame of wood or metal.

Theimprovements embrace a novel means or device for stretching and alsofor varying the tension of the skin of both heads of adouble drum byasingle tension-screw; also, a novel fixing means for stretching the headin place; also, a novel construction and combination of body and rim,all as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claimsat the end of this specification.

The following description explains at length the manner in which Iproceed to construct, apply, and carry out my said invention, theaccompanying drawings being referred to by figures and letters.

Figure 1 represents in elevation a double drumwith my improvementsapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective .view of a segment or portionof the body and rim of the drum, showing the shape and relative positionof the parts as they appear in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview of the step-bearings for the foot of the tension-screw. Fig. t is afront view of one of the semicircular saddleblocks that are fixed on therim of the drum to carry the tension-cord. Fig. 5 is an edge View of thesame block. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section showing in detail therim, the ring to which the edge of the skin is attached, and a portionof the shell or body of the drum. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the parts,onan enlarged scale, showing in detail a construction of thrustbearing forthe screwshaft.

In describing the construction and application of the presentimprovements the parts of the drum are designated and referred to hereinas the body a, the rim 5, the hoop d, the head 6, and the ring 7.Following the general construction of these instruments the body a issometimes made of metal and sometimes of wood. The hoop (Z is usuallymade of wood. The rim bis a circular and continuous ring of metal with ahorizontal flange 2 extending outwardly at right angles from theperpendicular outer face of the rim to seat on the end of the body a,and a similar flange 3 on the opposite side extending inward at rightangles to the upright member of the rim furnishes a support for thegrooved ringf. The parts of this rim and-their position with referenceto the other parts will be understood from Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The skin a of the head being attached to a flat ring g is clampedbetween the outside flange 2 and the hoop (Z and is firmly held allaround the edge by drawing and holding the hoop to a close seat upon thering g by means of the lacing 4 and lacing-hooks 5 on the hoops at bothends of the drum. For better security in holding the skin under tension.it is wrapped around the ring g from the inside and brought over thefront edge, so as to lie upon the top face of the ring, as seen inljjg.2. This brings the skin between the ring g and the'hoop (Z, as well asbetween the ring and the flange 2, thereby affording a double hold onthe skin at all points around the circle. The edge of the skin may alsobe glued to the ring for greater security. This means of attaching theskin to the body of the drum contributes to the production of an evenand uniform tension of the head, for the reason that it holds the skinfirmly at all points around the circumference. In connection with thisclamping means the device for stretching and giving the required tensionto the head is constructed and applied with a view to act on both headsat the same time, and by the simple movement of a tensionscrew itproduces the required degree of tension on the skins of both heads. Theconstruction and operation of this tension device will be readilyunderstood from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

A ring f, having a deep groove in its outer edge extending around thecircumference, lies on the inner flange 3, by which it is'supportedbehind or within the rim I) in such position that the top face of thering stands above the top edge of the rim and the bottom of the groovein the ring is about flush with the top edge of the rim. Supported inthis position on the inside of the rim 6 and above the plane of theouter flange 2 the grooved ring raises the surface of the skin above therim, so as to turn the marginal portion of the skin all around thecircumference perpendicularly downward over the groove, when the edge ofthe skin'is clamped between the hoop and the flange 2, and by drawinginto the groove a cord it the head is stretched and maintained under therequired degree of tension. One end of the cord it is brought to theoutside through a slit 6 in the hoop (Z and made fast to a block 7, andfrom that point the cord being laid around the circumference between theskin 0 and the inner face of the hoop 1/ it is carried through a slit 8in the hoop to the outside, as seen in Fig. 1 on the left side of thefigure, at the upper hoop. From the point 8 where it passes out from theupper hoop the cord /1/ is brought down to the lower hoop and is laidaround the rim of the lower head by being carried in at the slit 10 andout at the slit 12 after passing entirely around the circumference ofthe head. The end of the cord is finally made fast to a block 7, [ixedon the body above the lower hoop. A quadrant-shaped block in with agrooved rim is fixed on the body of the drum in line with the slit (3,and similar grooved blocks m m m are fixed on the body in the requiredposition in line with each slit to change the direction of the cord andcarry it in a regular curve at right angles, or thereabout. The functionof these blocks is to reduce the strain on the cord It at these points.It will be obvious that ordinary sheaves or small grooved wheels couldbe employed instead of these quadrantshaped blocks for the same purpose.The tension device located on the outside of the drum between these twopoints where the cord leads out through the hoops is composed of ascrew-threaded rod or shaft s, mounted for rotation in stationarysupports 13 14, and a traveling nutl, workingon the screw-tlweadedportion of the rod and l'laving a curved saddleqiiece 15 16 with agrooved top edge, in which is laid the cord In order to apply thepulling strain of the saddle-piece upon the cords in the properdirection, it is necessary to bring the cord over the top of the-saddle-piece from below on both sides of the line of thescrewthre:u,led rod, and for that purpose a third block 1) is employed.This block is fastened to the shell or body on the side of the threadedrod s opposite to that where the grooved block on is located, and it isformed or provided with a semicircular rim, so as to turn the cordupward and bring it over the traveling nut in nearly a verticaldirection from below.

\Vhile it is rotatable in its hearings on the side of the body, thescrew-rod is held against moving longitudinally by a collar 18, situatedbelow the socket-piece 13, and it is provided on the upper end with asquare head 17 to take a key for turning it. The lower end of the rod isfitted to a bearing in a bracket 1%, secured to the shell (1 On beingrotated the screw-rod (it acts on the traveling nut to set it up or downon the rod, with the effect to throw greater or less strain on the cordla, and thereby increase or reduce the tension on both heads at the sametime by a simple turn of the screw-rod.

In connection with the tension device when applied to a large drum, suchas a bass-drum, where the end thrust of the screw-rod in the bracket 14:is obviously much greater than in the case of a side drum, 1 provide athrustbearing of novel character, in which the upward pressure of aspring-bearing operates to counteract the end pressure of the screwrod.The construction of this yielding bearing is clearly shown in Fig. '7 ofthe drawings. On the ln-aeket 14E beneath the hearing 20 a box 21furnishes a guide for a movable block or nut 22 with a screw threadedsocket, through which a screw-threml 23 on the lower portion of thescrew-rod s is fitted to work. The thread 23 on that port-ion of the rodhas a contrary pitch to the threaded portion on which the saddle-piecefi travels, one being a left-hand thread and the other a right-handthread. The effect of this construction is to cause the lower block 2 tomove on the rod in the opposite direction to the part tween thebearing-block 22 and the bottom of the box 21 a stiff coiled spring isinterposed, so as to resist the movement of the block iilowl'lward inthe box and by its reaction under compression to counteract the downwardthrust of the screw-rod with increasing force or pressure in proportionas the thrust becomes greater under the movement of the screw-rod. Theupward pressure of the coiled spring against the block 21 at such timewill redueethe frictional resistance between the collar 215 on thescrew-rod and the face of the fixed bearing 21).

Having thus descriln-ad my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. in a drum or like musical instrument, a body, a separable rim havingan outer liange adapted to seat on the edge of the body and aninwardly-extending flange, a hoop, a ring interposed between the hoopand the outer flange of the rim, and to which the skin is attached allaround the circumference of the head, a lacing adapted to hold the hoopto a seat on the said ring, a second ring having a groove extending intoits outer edge circumferentially thereof, said grooved ring beinginterposed between the skin and the inner flange of the rim, a cord inline with said groove around the circumference of the ring and means fordrawing up and maintaining tension on said cord.

2. In a drum or like musical instrument, a cylindrical body, a rimseated on the edge and separable from the body and having an inwardlyextending flange, a hoop, a ring clamped between thehoop and the rim, askin having its marginal edge wrapped around the ring a lacing adaptedto hold the hoop in place on the ring, a ring of smaller diameter thanthe hoop and supported within it beneath the skin, said ring having agroove in the outer edge, a cord in line with said groove and extendingcircumferentially around the same against the skin, one end of the saidcord being attached to a fixed point on the body and means for drawingup and maintaining tension of the cord.

3. In adrum or like musical instrument, the combination with a body, askin head, and means for clamping the marginal edge of the skin allaround the circumference; of a ring beneath the skin of the head havinga grooved outer edge over which the skin is stretched, a cord extendingaround the circumference of the head in line with the'grooved edge ofthe ring, and means for drawing up and maintaining tension on the cord,comprising a screw-threaded rotatable shaft, a traveling nut thereon, asaddle-piece carried by the nut over which the cord is laid, and groovedblocks for changing the angular direction of the strain on said cord.

4. In a device for drawing up and maintaining tension on the skin of adrumhead or other like musical instrument the combination with a ringsupported beneath the skin and having a grooved outer edge and means forclamping the marginal edge of the skin all around the circumferenceoutside the grooved ring; of a cord extending around the circumferenceof said ring in line with the groove and exteriorly of the skin, andmeans for drawing up and maintaining tension on the cord, comprising agrooved stationary guide, a-screw-threaded rotatable shaft, a nuttraveling on said shaft, and a saddle-piece on the nut over which thecord is carried from the stationary guide.

5. In a device for tightening a drumhead, the combination with a ringsupported beneath the skin of the head and havinga groove in the outeredge and means for clamping the marginal edge of the skin outside thering; of means for-drawing up and tightening the skin, comprising ascrew-shaft having reversely threaded portions one above the other, anut provided with a saddle-piece fitted to travel on one thread, a nutfitted to the other thread a fixed box for the nut in which it isadapted to move as the shaft is rotated a coiled spring between the nutand the end of the box and a tightening-cord extending around thegrooved ring on the outside of the skin and in line with the groove andstationary cord-guides on the body of the drum arranged to carry thecord over the saddle-piece of the traveling nut.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE HARRIS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. OSBORN, M. REGNER.

